Seminar 20th February 2017

Julio will present “Can mass public transport win the political battle against the private car? Some insights from Barranquilla, Colombia”. He is Professor of Urban Policy and International Development, and Director of the Development Planning Unit, UCL. A civil engineer and urban development planner, he has over 25 years’ international experience in research and consultancy projects in 15 countries in Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. His research focuses on the role of local government in progressive social and political transformation in developing countries; the governance dimensions of urban and peri-urban infrastructure (transport, and water & sanitation); the intersection between planning and urban informality; and linkages between rapid urbanisation and health.

Enrica Papa, Senior Lecturer on Planning and Transport, University of Westminster

Enrica will present “Promoting the accessibility approach for socially-aware transport planning: Identifying and overcoming institutional barriers”. She is Senior Lecturer in Transport, and joined University of Westminster in September 2015. Her research is positioned at the intersection of urban, transport and economic geography. Key research interests include: geography of mobility, planning for sustainable accessibility, Transit Oriented Development, transitions to low-carbon and low-energy living and societies, decision-making processes and new ways to integrate these research interests.

Paul will present “The Spatial Economy of an Urban Cable-car: The case of Medellin”. He is currently a PhD Candidate at the Bartlett School of Architecture, at the University College of London (UCL). His thesis explores the role spatial connectivity plays in the upgrading process of informal settlements and how its role in the transformation process affects local commercial activities at both micro and meso scales. This is principally researched through the case of Medellin and its Urban Cable-cars.

Neil will present “Social Equity in Transportation Desirability Assessment”. He is PhD Researcher in Mechanical Engineering student at De La Salle University, Manila, Philippines. He is also a full-time teaching staff and Vice Chair of the same department. He is currently a visiting PhD researcher at the Transport Studies Unit (TSU) of the University of Oxford. His research area includes energy and emissions policy, and now, he is developing a model for transport desirability assessment with TSU.